This relates to a distress signal system for motorists, and more particularly, to a kit including distress signal flags to be carried or installed in vehicles, for use when the occasion demands.
On our busy system of super highways, it often happens that motorists having car trouble or a medical emergency, are faced with the problem of apprising passing motorists, or the police, of their predicament, or of identifying their vehicle if it is necessary to leave the vehicle and go for help. Many cars are equipped with flashing signal lights; but these require a drain on the battery, which may eventually run out of power. Further, the flashiing lights do not indicate the nature of the emergency. Many motorists may attempt to fly a make-shift distress flag; but a problem arises in securely attaching such a flag to an external surface of the vehicle in a manner whereby it will not blow away. Further, such a make-shift device does not apprise the passerby of the nature of the emergency.
It is therefore the principal object of this invention to provide an improved distress signal system for motorists, one which is designed to apprise the passersby of the nature of the emergency and which can be securely and readily installed on an external surface of the vehicle, such as a windshield or window in a position to be readily viewed by passing motorists or the police.
These and other objects are realized in the distress flag kit of the present invention which comprises a storage container including a set of instructions, and one or more furled distress flags, together with a flag staff. The latter may comprise one or more metal rods having bent terminals on which are journalled one or more suction cups. The resilient suction cups may be rotated inwardly for storage in the container, and outwardly for use, so that one end of the flag staff can be readily secured to an external vehicle surface. In a preferred embodiment, the flag staff comprises a pair of parallel rods, which are removably seated together at their outer ends in a small resilient plastic cap. At least one of the inner bent ends is constructed to fit slidably into a bore in the solid cylindrical shank or base of a frustoconical plastic suction cup, which is disposed to rotate about the flag staff terminal as an axis. When the appropriate flag is selected for display, the resilient cap is removed from the outer ends of the flag staff rods, and one of the rods is threaded through a sleeve along the upper end of the selected flag. The cap is then again seated on the ends of the flag staff rods, holdiing them together so that the upper edge of the flag is secured between them. The suction cup is then threaded onto one of the bent terminals at the inner end of the flag staff, and rotated through 180 degrees to operated position. If desired, a second suction cup may be applied to the other bent terminal, and rotated outwardly for use position. The suction cups are then pressed firmly against an external car surface, such as a window, supporting the flag staff in cantilever position, so that the distress flag projects out in a direction normal to or transverse to the car window surface so that it is readilys seen by passerby.
In a preferred kit, three flags may be included, one of which bears the legend "DISABLED", another, a picture of a dripping gas tank indicating "out-of-gas", and a third, a red cross, indicating a medical emergency.
If it is necessary to leave the car and go for help, a tag from the kit may be filled out and attached to the selected flag indicating the name and address of the owner of the car.
These and other objects, features and advantages of the invention may be realized by a study of the detailed specification hereinafter with reference to the attached drawings.